Award-winning legal firm, DMH Stallard has entered a new phase of business as they expand further into the city and continue their recruitment of a host of high profile team members.

I’m delighted to confirm that DMH Stallard has completed a major expansion into Brighton. We’ve increased our presence in the city centre with up to 30 solicitors and support staff moving into our new suite of offices in Jubilee Street. The move includes the relocation of senior partners and other staff from the DMH Stallard office at Gatwick, and we will be busy recruiting the best legal talent from other firms in Brighton & Hove.

Our focus in the city, in addition to digital, media and technology businesses, and family and real estate, will include a major push into the private client sector, an area of expertise that I believe has been lacking in Brighton for some time.

The feedback we’ve received, from both entrepreneurs and private individuals, has repeatedly underlined the view that there is a place in the market in Brighton and Hove for high quality, specialist legal advice from a larger firm like ours. To this end, we have been working closely with our network of contacts in the area for some time and are now actively following up these leads. There’s no doubt our existing teams are exceptionally well regarded for what they do, and we are confident that together we will be able to provide a first class range of services to these client groups.

I’m so proud of Brighton & Hove. Its culture, diversity, ambition and attitude mark it out in the UK and I love that distinction - it makes our expansion in the city even more special for me.

Growth at DMH Stallard has continued apace over the last year. The practice was confirmed in the ‘Top 100 law firms in the UK’ after reporting revenues of over £24million. For some time, the law firm has been one of the largest in the South East and now employs nearly 300 staff. This includes over 60 partners across offices in London, Gatwick, Guildford and Brighton.

In the last 12 months alone, DMH Stallard has made a number of very senior appointments at partner level. Intellectual property and technology solicitor James Martin, joined from City law firm, Fieldfisher. Last year his standing in the industry resulted in James being part of a UK delegation at the International Bar Association Annual Conference in Washington DC, and in January 2017, James spoke at the Global IP Convention in Delhi on the law and developments in the protection of trade secrets in the UK and EU.

Corporate and commercial transaction specialist Mark Harden was recruited from Thrings and Michael Nixon joined the real estate department from Downs Solicitors. More recently, Kate Norgett joined the award-winning corporate team from Barlow Robbins, following senior roles at Clifford Chance and CMS Cameron McKenna. Other high profile appointments in Brighton and other lateral hires in Gatwick, London and Guildford will soon be announced.

Tim Ashdown

Tim is the firm’s senior litigation partner. Ranked as a ‘Leader in his Field’ for many years by the legal directories, Tim is a commercial dispute resolution lawyer. He also advises on all aspects of intellectual property including trade marks, patents, designs, misuse of confidential information (by employees and/or competitors), copyright and databases. Tim also advises on technology-related disputes.

He leads on many of DMH Stallard’s largest commercial and corporate disputes, with extensive experience in the High Court and Court of Appeal. Tim is experienced in resolving disputes by way of arbitration and mediation and is a Manager of our global network of law firms, Law Europe International.

Lorna Fairbairn

Lorna is head of the private client department and is involved in the full range of private client matters, including the administration of trusts, of estates and preparation of wills and lasting powers of attorney.

Lorna advises clients on the creation of trusts when appropriate e.g. for personal injury settlements and on pension benefits. She also works with clients who are business owners in relation to safeguarding their business assets for future generations.

This specialist work includes advising on inheritance tax mitigation through business property relief, lifetime exemptions, potentially exempt transfers and interplay with capital gains tax liabilities, and potential reliefs, such as entrepreneurs’ relief.

Robert Ganpatsingh

Robert is a commercial disputes partner. He has a wealth of experience in all forms of dispute resolution, including mediation, arbitration, adjudication and litigation.

Robert is a highly experienced litigator with expertise in all aspects of resolving disputes through the courts, including dealing with freezing injunctions and search and seizure orders in high value cases. He has extensive knowledge and expertise in contentious matters involving design rights, patents, copyright, trade marks and passing off.

Claire Carberry

Claire is a partner in the private client department. She provides advice on all aspects of estate planning, wills and trust creation to a broad cross section of clients.

She also acts in the administration of high value and complex estates. Claire has expertise in advising on, and managing, the affairs of elderly and vulnerable clients, including dealing with powers of attorney and court of protection work.

Claire advises on inheritance tax, the administration of estates and post-death tax planning. She also drafts wills for clients with a wide range of requirements, including those providing for dependants with learning difficulties.

If you would like more information about DMH Stallard and the services we offer to businesses, individuals and families, please contact the team in Brighton on 01273 329833, email enquiries@dmhstallard.com or visit www.dmhstallard.com

We believe in building long-term relationships with clients by securing the successful outcomes they want, always in the most efficient and cost effective way.